[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: BMC titles indexing in NLM PubMed

I agree with the reply from Mark Funk - there is great confusion between
Index Medicus and PubMed - however I did not see in his reply any comment
about PubMedCentral.

In my understanding, PubMedCentral is another - separate - database,
containing full text biomedical journals (all OA). And the acceptance
criteria for PubMedCentral are different to those of Index Medicus/PubMed. My understanding is that it is relatively easy to publish on PubMedCentral
(without the delays of waiting for a certain number of issues to be
published, and board approval, etc.) - and that inclusion on PubMedCentral
automatically leads to indexing within PubMed (but not Index Medicus -
however as the majority of people now - I believe - only look at PubMed,
the difference is probably immaterial).

This is the reason why journals such as those on BioMedCentral have
appeared to "jump the queue" and become indexed on PubMed before the
lengthy acceptance procedure (and not because of any favouritism) - or at
least this is my assumption.

********** Pippa Smart
Head, Publishing Initiatives
International Network for the Availability of Scientific Information (INASP)
58 St Aldates, Oxford, OX1 1ST, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1865 249909
Fax: +44 ()1865 251060 Email: psmart@inasp.info
Web: www.inasp.info
*********

At 01:43 11/02/2005, Alexei Koudinov wrote:

10 February 2005

I am puzzled how new journals by BioMedCentral get immediate indexing in
PubMed? NIH NLM Rules for PubMed indexing were/are straight forward
(current version is available
<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/j_sel_faq.html>at this link) and
request(ed) the publication of at least 20 (twenty!) articles for an
electronic journal evaluation.

The NLM specifically states that "once an electronic journal has been
accessible for at least six months, an editor or publisher may request
that the journal be reviewed for possible indexing if at least 20 articles
have been published and made available online." (Source: Fact Sheet:
<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/j_sel_faq.html>Response to
Inquiries about Journal Selection for Indexing at
<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/j_sel_faq.html>NLM, last viewed 11
February 2004, 00:43 Jerusalem time).

This is apparently not a case for a great number of BioMed Central (BMC)
titles. The screening of first twenty journals listed at
<http://www.biomedcentral.com/independent/launched>The Launched
BioMed<http://www.biomedcentral.com/independent/launched> Central
Independent Journals shows that more then half titles (12 of first twenty
on the
<http://www.biomedcentral.com/independent/launched>BMC<http://www.biomedcentral.com/independent/launched>
list) are indexed in PubMed without satisfying the National Library of
Medicine minimum article sample size for a journal quality assessment.

These twelve BMC journals are:

[SNIP]


Another NLM requirement (that "an electronic journal has been accessible
for at least six months" for a review for PubMed indexing) is apparently
also in breach by BMC's <http://www.ete-online.com/>Emerging Themes in
Epidemiology, <http://www.cerebrospinalfluidresearch.com/>Cerebrospinal
Fluid Research, <http://www.bio-diglib.com/>Biomedical Digital Libraries,
<http://www.anzhealthpolicy.com/>Australia and New Zealand Health Policy,
and <http://www.immunityageing.com/>Immunity and Ageing .

[SNIP]


I look forward to have this issue clarified in a public forum.

Sincerely,

Alexei Koudinov, MD, PhD
Neurobiology of Lipids
<http://neurobiologyoflipids.org>